Operating Liftgate Manually On a Power Liftgate Setup ?

[JFUSION]

I've got the power liftgate on my 12 EX, sometimes I find that I just need to open the liftgate a few inches to grab an item quickly and I don't want to go through the process of opening and closing it electrically. I know you can disable the power liftgate as an option but I do want to keep it operational, it's just sometimes it is quicker and easier to open and close it by hand. Would this damage anything or interfere with the electric motor ?. It's not something I would do often. I would open and close it by hand each time and not mix hand opening with electric closing or anything like that as I know that could confuse things. Any advice would be great thanks for reading.

 

[Car 54]

Just push the close button whenever you get what you need out. Forcing to stop isn't horrible as it's a design and safety feature.

 

[bluelion]

or you can push the remote open button for it to be open by the time you walk to the back of the vehicle, then all you have to do is push the close button....

 

[donm527]

that doesnt always work out.

unless there is a method i am missing (and please teach me )...

the one irritant about the power liftgate is that you can't stop it when you want in mid open/close. or have different levels of open/close like 1/2 way. you can only reset a new open level only when it is fully open, right?

say you normally park in your garage and you know you cant open the liftgate all the way because you'll hit the garage door above at full open...

so if you have groceries, or whatever then you need to park outside the garage, get your stuff, then close and drive into the garage. silly. especially if raining.

the alternative, i've tried, is opening and closing many times to grab your stuff before it hits the garage at the top. and your sol if the items have slid too far back. It was like the first few days when I got my car trying to figure it out and havent tried again since.

and even though forcing it to stop is a design feature, it's still one i wouldnt want to keep doing because you are exerting counter force to the motors direction and i imagine that has to take a toll on it over time. and it doesnt stop... it just goes the other direction until at the full open/close position.

Just push the close button whenever you get what you need out. Forcing to stop isn't horrible as it's a design and safety feature.

 

[jeeden]

Why not set your liftgate to the lowest point you will need and leave it there? For me, my garage opening is lower than any parking garage I have encountered so I just leave it set there and know I'm always good. If there is a parking garage at work or a popular shopping center with a lower one, set it for there.

You could also just set it really low like 6ft knowing that you will never hit anything ever and then when it opens, it will go to the 6ft mark, then you can push it open the extra couple of inches depending on how high the ceiling is at your current location.

 

[bluelion]

^ that's what i did....not only did i set the height of the tailgate to ensure it doesn't hit my garage door while its open, but i also set it to MY height..... i'm only about 5'6-5'7.

 

[donm527]

eh... i thought about it but just dont like it.

i'm not that tall... 5'10-5'11... and I have to adjust it to my garage so we're talking that the door stops at under 5'5 i guess?

I guess I'll really have to do that and live with crouching under the liftgate to pull stuff in and out.

but when away from home and out and about and having it preset to open so low that I have to crouch and get under the liftgate to get stuff in and out... just feel it's stupid.

i mean you have a nice looking vehicle and you'd think a well thought out in details... yet you have to crouch under your liftgate like your door is broken and wont go up higher to get access to rear storage. you look at other people in the parking lot in that situation and think... wtf, his liftgate is busted? cheap arse car!... when a simple added touch like holding down the lift gate button while in motion to stop where you want it would be so much more convenient.

limit the height when needed and get under for access and other times, be able to walk in and out of your rear storage area like an erect homosapien

^ that's what i did....not only did i set the height of the tailgate to ensure it doesn't hit my garage door while its open, but i also set it to MY height..... i'm only about 5'6-5'7.

 

[bluelion]

luckily my garage is tall enough that the liftgate can open fully,(tried that the with the test drive) but i lowered the height a bit since i'm so short. as for when you're out and about, just pull the liftgate open manually after it's opened to it's set height (set for your garage)..it will then open all the way

 

[w1kedz]

I guess I'll really have to do that and live with crouching under the liftgate to pull stuff in and out.

You don't have to crouch.. it would open to the low setting, you would just need to pull it up the rest of the way manually...

 

[peterk9]

but when away from home and out and about and having it preset to open so low that I have to crouch and get under the liftgate to get stuff in and out... just feel it's stupid.

From the Owner's Guide; "When operating the power liftgate after a lower height than full-open has been programmed, the liftgate can be fully opened by manually pushing it upward to the maximum open position."

Peter

 

[donm527]

i guess... it doesnt change the preset by lifting it and will be set at right height when i get home. i didnt think of it... like i said, i gave up after the first week.

i'll do it because there isnt any other choice

i still like my depressing the liftgate button while in motion better... or some option whether from drivers button or actual liftgate button to stop when pressed.

You don't have to crouch.. it would open to the low setting, you would just need to pull it up the rest of the way manually...

 

[Car 54]

i guess... it doesnt change the preset by lifting it and will be set at right height when i get home. i didnt think of it... like i said, i gave up after the first week.

i'll do it because there isnt any other choice

i still like my depressing the liftgate button while in motion better... or some option whether from drivers button or actual liftgate button to stop when pressed.

You want the lift to operate like the windows right?

 

[donm527]

no.

push once to open fully.
push once to close fully.
push while opening to stop at any point you want.
push to close from that point.

is it really that hard to do to have programmed an option to stop when opening?

You want the lift to operate like the windows right?

 

[donm527]

also at the point you press it to stop opening, you should be able to press and hold down the liftgate button that is on the door until you hear the beep that confirms set to the new open position.

why have to be in a position that it's all the way open then pull door to desired new location and then press the button until you hear beep to confirm it's set? (yes, probably to be able to start at a zero point before saving gear position).

guess it's the programmer in me... thinking there are better ways and doable.

 

[Car 54]

So you want it to be like a garage door opener?

We're getting there!

 

[donm527]

actually your right... it would be pretty much how a garage door opener works.

garage door goes up... you wanna stop the door at half open?... no prob, just press the button again while opening and it stops! yea!

if a cheap butt garage door opener can do it... why not a $30K+ Explorer

So you want it to be like a garage door opener?

We're getting there!

 

[Car 54]

Now just post up your suggestion on thefordstory.com!

 

[Car 54]

actually your right... it would be pretty much how a garage door opener works.

garage door goes up... you wanna stop the door at half open?... no prob, just press the button again while opening and it stops! yea!

if a cheap butt garage door opener can do it... why not a $30K+ Explorer

Just tried this....press the outside button, it opens, press it again and it stops, press Inside button and it closes. Piece of cake!

 

[donm527]

just tried exactly as you mentioned...
and it didnt work for me ...

pressed the outside button, it opens...
pressed it again while opening... kept on pressing it and it will not stop it.
it doesnt stop unit it reaches it's preset.

and once it has stopped at it's preset, the outside button cannot be used to lower.
you have to use the button inside the liftgate to close.

2nd test...
pressed outside button...
while lifting try pressing the button inside the liftgate...
and it will not stop... only reverse course and close completely.

Just tried this....press the outside button, it opens, press it again and it stops, press Inside button and it closes. Piece of cake!

 

[peterk9]

Just tried this....press the outside button, it opens, press it again and it stops, press Inside button and it closes. Piece of cake!

Inside, Outside buttons?? Could you please be more specific? Are you referring to the Liftgate button on the dash and the button on the bottom of the liftgate door?:scratch: